DOCID: 3927967

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A 'Binary' System for Complex Numbers
BY WALTER PENNEY
Unclassified
A number system with the complex number - 1 + i as base is de-
veloped. This permits the representation in binary form of any complex
number a + b i with a and b integral or of the form k/2
n
In the latter
case a separatrix is used to indicate negative powers of the base.
Computer operations with complex numbers are usually performed
by dealing with the real and imaginary parts separately and combining
the two as a final operation. It might be an advantage in some
problems to treat a complex number as a unit and to carry out all
operations in this form.
The number system to be described permits the representation of
a complex number as a single binary number to a degree of accuracy
limited only by the capacity of the computer. It is binary in that
only the two symbols 1 and 0 are used; however, the base is not 2,
but the complex number - 1 + i. The quantity - 1 - i would
be equally suitable, and, in fact, for real numbers it is immaterial
which of these two we consider the base.
The first few powers of - 1 + i are
1 -l+i 5 4 4i
2 -2i 6 8i
3 2+2i 7 88i
4 - 4 8 16
We have, for example, the following equivalents:
4
3
2
1
1 0 0 0 0
1 000 1
1 1 100
1 1 101
o
1
2
3
o
1
1 100
1 101
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All the arithmetical operations can be performed on these numbers
if the proper rules are observed. Corresponding to the ordinary
(computer) rules, 1 + 1 = 10 and 1 + 111 ... (to limit of machine)
= 0, we have the rules 1 + 1 = 1 1 0 0 and 1 1 + 1 1 1 = O. For
example, to add 111 0 1 0001 (= 5) and 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Q 1 (= 13),
1 1 101 000 1
+100010001
1 0 0 0 0 1 100 (= 18)
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@'pproved for release by NSA on 11-29-2011 , Transparency Case# 63853
DOCID: 3927967
UNCLASSIFIED COMPLEX NUMBERS
The two l's in the rightmost position become 1 1 0 o. The two l's
representing (- 1 + i) 4 become 1 1 0 0, and this combines with the
. tal l' to d 1 1 1 S 1 1 1 0 h
In! 1 S pro uce 1 1 1 mce 1 1 = ,we ave
1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 as the final result.
Every integer, positive, negative or zero can be represented unique-
ly in the form ao + al (- 4) + a2 (- 4)2 + ... + ak (- 4)k where
each a is 0, 1, 2 or 3. To represent an integer to base - 1 + i,
write it in powers of - 4; the required representation will then be
ak ak_l ... al ao, where the digits are 0000, 0001, 1100 or 1101 ac-
cording as a is 0, 1, 2 or 3 respectively.
For example,
46 = 3 (- 4) 2 + 1 (- 4) + 2.
Therefore,
46 = 312<_4) = 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 o.
Initial O's are neglected; for example,
19 = 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 = 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 l.
The first few imaginary integers are
4 i
- 3 i
- 2 i
- t
1 1 0 0 0 0
1 100 1 1
100
111
o
t
2 i
3 i
o
1 1
1 1 101 0 0
1 1 101 1 1
Every imaginary integer can be represented uniquely in the form
ao + bo (8i) + al (8i)2 + bi (8i)3 + ... where - 6i :$ a i
and - 4 :$ b :$ 3. To represent an imaginary integer to base
- 1 + i, write it in powers of 8i with appropriate a's and b's; the
required representation will then be this number with the digits re-
placed by their binary equivalents. If the binary equivalent for
any digit (except the first) contains fewer than six bits, O's are pre-
fixed to round it out to six. For example, 77i = (- 1) (8i) 2 i +
2 (8i) + (- 3) i. Therefore 77i = 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 OIl.
Here 1 1 1 represents - i, 0 0 1 1 0 0 represents 2 and 1 1 0 0 1 1
represents - 3i.
Any complex number a + bi with a and b integral can be expressed
as the sum of the real and imaginary parts. For example, - 2 =
1 1 1 0 0 and 3i = 1 1 1 0 1 1 1, so that - 2 + 3i = 1 1 1 0 0
+ 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 = 1 1 0 1 1. There is thus a one-to-one cor-
respondence between the binary numbers of this system and the
complex numbers a + bi with a and b positive or negative integers
or zero.
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DOCID: 3927967
WALTER PENNEY UNCLASSIFIED
By the use of 'decimals,' that is, negative powers of - 1 + i, it
is possible to extend this system to the representation of all complex
numbers of the fonn a/2
m
+ (b/2
n
) i. For example, we have the fol-
lowing equivalents:
3
-4
1
-2
1
-4
1
4
1
2
3
4
. 1 1 0 1
. 1 1
.0001
1.1101
1 . 1 1
1.0001
3 .
- "4 t
1 .
- 2' t
1 .
- '4
t
1
4"t
1
2'" t
3 .
-:it
111.0111
111.01
0 0 1 1
0 1 1 1
0 1
11.0011
As with integers, the real and imaginary parts combine to fonn
a single number. - : i, for example, = 1.11 + 111 .0111 =
1.1011.
Since a real number can be approximated to any desired degree of
accuracy by a fraction of the fonn a{2
n
, this number system will per-
mit the representation of all complex numbers to a degree of accu-
racy limited only by the capacity of the computer.
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